Oil temperature regulators for internal combustion engines



Oct. 26, 1965 R. c. ROBINSON OIL TEMPERATURE REGULATORS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 1, 1964 INVENTOR ROBERT CLAYTON ROBINSON BY wa/u flfi ATTORNEY S United States Patent 3,213,930 01L TEMPERATURE REGULATGRL? FUR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Robert Clayton Robinson, Box 115, Snow Lake, Manitoba, Canada Filed June 1, 1964, Ser. No. 371,719 6 Claims. (Cl. 165-38) This application is a continuation-in-part of abandoned application Serial No. 278,193, filed May 6, 1963.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in oil temperature regulation devices adapted to be used with the high pressure oil system of conventional internal combustion engines and the like, the principal object and essence of my invention being to provide a device of the character herewithin described which consists of a circulating regulator device situated above the engine and in bypass circuit with the high pressure system, containing restricted orifices which prevents full circulation of the oil through the regulator until a pre-determined temperature has been reached and also including an air receiver to prevent air locks and to purge the system when the engine stops operating.

Oil regulator systems have been used before in conjunction with internal combustion engines, but these normally do not incorporate means to eliminate air within the system each time the engine is operated, neither do they incorporate means adapted to empty the regulator when the engine stops operating. Furthermore, means are not provided to facilitate the transfer of heat to the oil cooler in order to bring it into operation as soon as possible.

My device overcomes these disadvantages as will hereinafter be described.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is readily adaptable to conventional internal combustion engines and can be situated within the cooling air stream of the fan of the engine.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which only a portion of the engine oil is circulated through the regulator, the remainder going direct from the pump to the high pressure system in the conventional manner.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of my device sectioned in part to show the interior thereof.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional top plan view showing the relationship between the oil return tube and the heat transfer tubes.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the pressure control valve.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Proceeding therefore to describe my invention in detail, it will be seen upon reference to the accompanying drawings that I have illustrated in phantom, the front end view of a conventional engine 16 including a schematic representation of a conventional oil pump 11 having an inlet 13 situated within the oil pan (not illustrated) and driven by the engine in the conventional manner.

An oil delivery conduit 14 extends from the oil pump 11 to the high pressure system gallery 12 of the engine, said oil delivery conduit being provided with a restricted orifice 15 between the pump 11 and the gallery 12.

3,213,931 Patented Oct. 26, 19 65 'ice My oil regulator collectively designated *16 is adapted to be situated transversely above the engine 10 and includes a vertically situated oil inlet manifold tube 18. A plurality of spaced and parallel finned heat exchange tubes 19 are disposed in a vertical plane and are connected in parallel to the aforementioned inlet and return manifold tubes 17 and 18 and it will be noted that each finned heat exchange tube 19 is provided with a restricted orifice 20 adjacent the end of the tube connecting to the return manifold tube 18.

An oil feed tube 21 extends between said oil delivery conduit 14- and the oil inlet manifold tube 17 and the point of connection 22 of this oil feed tube is situated between the pump 11 and the restricted orifice 15 within the conduit 14.

An oil return tube 23 extends between the oil delivery conduit 14 and the oil return manifold tube 18 and the point of connection 24 of this tube is down stream of the restricted orifice 15 as clearly shown in FIGURE 1.

If desired a thermometer 25 may be connected to the conduit 23 so that the temperature of the return oil can be ascertained.

A by-pass tube 26 includes two vertically situated spaced and parallel legs 27 and 28, being connected at the upper ends 29 thereof as clearly illustrated. The lower end of tube 28 is connected to the oil feed tube 21 and the lower end of the other leg 27 is connected to the oil return tube 23.

The two legs 27 and 28 of the tube 26 are situated vertically and in contiguous relationship with each of the heat exchange tubes 19, it being understood that the fins 30 are removed at this point of contact. Insulating material 31 surrounds the portions of the legs 27 and 28 and also the portions of the heat exchange tubes 19 where same are contiguous as illustrated in FIGURE 2 and it will be observed that the legs 27 and 28 contact the heat exchange tubes 19 adjacent the restricted orifices 20 thereof.

Finally it will be observed that I have provided a hermetically sealed air and oil receiver 32 connected to the upper end 33 of the return manifold 18 upstream from the connection of the heat exchange tubes 19 to the manifold 18.

In operation, when the engine is started, oil is pumped by pump 11 through conduit 14 and, if the oil temperature is low, only a small portion of the oil will pass through the restriction 15.

The majority of the oil will pass through conduit 21, through the 'by-pass leg 28 and 27 back to conduit 23 whereupon it will be directed to the main gallery 12.

As the temperature of the oil rises and it becomes less viscous, an increasing portion of the oil passes through the heat exchange tubes 19 and thence to the high pressure system thus lowering the temperature of the oil and maintaining same at the desired figure. The contiguous relationship of the legs 27 and 28 of the bypass tube 26, with the heat exchange tubes 19 assists in the heating of these tubes adjacent the restricted orifices 20 thereof in order to speed up the initial operation of the oil cooler and this heat transfer is, of course, facilitated by the insulation 31 surrounding the tubes at this point.

The fact that the upper ends 29 of the by-pass tube are situated above the cooling tubes 19 provides additional resistance to the oil so that when it is at the working temperature the path of least resistance of the oil is thr ugh the cooli g tubes 19 rather than the by-pass tube 26 due to the additional pressure in this by-pass tube.

However, under certain circumstances there is not sufficient room to provide enough vertical length to the bypass tubes to give sutficient restriction to the oil therewithin.

the by-pass tubes 27 and 28 adjacent the upper ends thereof where the upper ends join together.

- This .pressure relief valve comprises a casing 35 having.

an inlet 28 connected to leg 28, and an outlet 29' connectedto the junction area 29 of the by-pass tube.

: A ball 36 engages a ball seating 37 above the inlet 28,

i said ballbeing retained in the area by means of a cage 38 which permits limited vertical movement of the ball from the seat. 37;

A controlrod 39 is 'screw-threadably engageable within a shoulder at the top of the casing 35 passing through gland dliand the lower end of this control 39 terminates infiangefdZ which. limits the upper movement of the ball r 1 Acollar 43 surroundsthe stem 39 and a cup 44 is freely mounted upon the stern between the fixed collar 43 andthe end 42:

Aspring t-s'reacts'between the fixed collar 43 and the cup 44 and the lower side of the cup engages the ball 36 and applies pressure thereto. Therefore, 'by rnanipulating the stem 39 by means of the knurled head 46,-the,spring 45 is compressed thus controlling the pressure at which ball 36 will be lifted from theseat 37.

7 When the engine is first started, any air situated within the system is forced into the air and oil receiver 32 where it is compressed to a'pressure equal to the oil pressure of thes'ystem. When the engine ceases operation, the air in the receiver exhausts and purges the system of oil by driving same back towards the oil pumpand bearings.

'It'will be noted that portions 21' and 23 of the conduits 21 and 23 within the engine 10, incline upwardly towards the points of connection with the conduit 14 and I have found that any air taken in by the pump (by low oil or other'reasons) will discharge directly to the conduit 14 and through the bearings-instead of to the oil cooler 16.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention'as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that. all matter contained in the accompanyingspecification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and notin a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a pressurized, lubricating system of an internal combustion engine, the combination of an oil pump having an oil deliveryconduitprovided intermediate the ends thereof with arestricted orifice, an oil temperature regulator comprising an oil inlet manifold, an oil return manifold; a plurality ofmutuallyparallel finned heat exchange tubes extending between and connected to said inlet and return manifold, said heat exchange tubes being provided at the; return manifold ends. thereof with restricted oil passages, an oil feed tube extending to said inlet manifold from a point on said'oil delivery conduit between said pump and said restricted orifice, an oil return tube extending from said'return manifold to a point on said-oil delivery conduit down streanrfrom the restricted orifice, andan oil bypasstube extending from said inlet manifold to said oil return tube in by-passing relationto said heat exchange tubes, said oil by-pass tube being disposed transversely to and in contiguous relationship with said heat exchange tubes adjacent the restricted oil passages thereof for heat transfer from said oil by-pass tube to said heat exchange tubes, and insulatingmaterialsurrounding and enclosing said oil return tube and said heat transfer tubes adjacent the contiguous relationship thereof.

2. The device according to claim 1 in which said oil feed tube and said oil return tube each includes an inclined portion within the'e'ngine adjacent the said points of connection of said tubes and slanting upwardly toward its point of connection with said oil deliveryconduit thereby assisting in the purging of air of said system.

3. In a pressurized, lubricating system of an internal combustion engine, the combination of an oil pump having an oil delivery conduit provided intermediate the ends thereof with a restricted orifice, an oil temperature regu lator comprising an oil inlet manifold, an oil-return mani fold, a plurality of mutually parallel finned heat exchange tubes extending between and connected to said inlet and re turn manifold, said heat exchange tubes being provided at the return manifold ends thereof with restrictedroil passages, an oil feed tube extending to said inlet manifold from a point on said oil delivery conduit between said pump and said restricted orifice, an oil return tube extending from said return manifold to a point on said oil delivery conduit down stream from the restricted orifice, an oil by-pass tube extending from said inlet manifold to said oil return tube in by-passing relation to said heat exchange tubes, said oil by-pass tube including a pair of spaced and parallel vertically situated legsjoined at the upper ends thereof, said legs being situated transversely to and incom tiguous relationship with said heat exchange tubes adjacent the restricted oil passages thereof-for heat transfer from said oil by-pass tube to said heat exchange tubes, a her-. metically sealed receiver for air and oil connected to said return manifold upstream from the connection of said heat exchange tubes to the latter, insulatingmaterialsurrounding and enclosing said oil return tube and saidheat transfer tubes adjacent the contiguous relationship thereof. 1

4. The device according. to claim 3 in which said o il feed tube and said oil return tube each include an inclined portion within the engine adjacent the said points of eon: ection of said tubes and slanting upwardly toward its point of connection with said oil delivery conduit thereby assisting in the purging of air of said systems.

5'. The device according to claim 3 which includes a manually adjustable pressure control valve in said oilby-pass tube adjacent the upper end of one of said legs thereof. i

6. The device according to claim 4 which includes a manually adjustable pressure controlvalve in said oil bypass tube adjacent the upper end of one of said legs thereof.

References Cited by theExaIniner UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. CHARLES SUKALO, Examiner, 

1. IN A PRESSURIZED, LUBRICATING SYSTEM OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, THE COMBINATION OF AN OIL PUMP HAVING AN OIL DELIVERY CONDUIT PROVIDED INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF WITH A RESTRICTED ORIFICE, AN OIL TEMPERATURE REGULATOR COMPRISING AN OIL INLET MANIFOLD, AN OIL RETURN MANIFOLD, A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY PARALLEL FINNED HEAT EXCHANGE TUBES EXTENDING BETWEEN AND CONNECTED TO SAID INLET AND RETURN MANIFOLD, SAID HEAT EXCHANGE TUBES BEING PROVIDED AT THE RETURN MANIFOLD ENDS THEREOF WITH RESTRICTED OIL PASSAGES, AN OIL FEED TUBE EXTENDING TO SAID INLET MANIFOLD FROM A POINT ON SAID OIL DELIVERY CONDUIT BETWEEN SAID PUMP AND SAID RESTRICTED ORIFICE, AN OIL RETURN TUBE EXTENDING FROM SAID RETURN MANIFOLD TO A POINT ON SAID OIL DELIVERY CONDUIT DOWN STREAM FROM THE RESTRICTED ORIFICE, AND AN OIL BY-PASS TUBE EXTENDING FROM SAID INLET MANIFOLD TO SAID OIL RETURN TUBE IN BY-PASSING FROM SAID INLET MANIFOLD EXCHANGE TUBES, SAID OIL BY-PASS TUBE BEING DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY TO AND IN CONTIGUOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID HEAT EXCHANGES TUBES ADJACENT THE RESTRICTED OIL PASSAGES THEREOF FOR HEAT TRANSFER FROM SAID OIL BY-PASS TUBE TO SAID HEAT EXCHANGE TUBES, SAID INSULATING MATERIAL SURROUNDING AND ENCLOSING SAID OIL RETURN TUBE AND SAID HEAT TRANSFER TUBES ADJACENT THE CONTIGUOUS RELATIONSHIP THEREOF. 